Phoenix drops proposal to impose parking fees at mountain trailheads

Yosef Steinmetz carries down his son Daniel Steinmetz to the parking lot after a hike up Piestewa Peak on Friday, August 22, 2014. Phoenix officials might try to impose a parking fee at three popular mountain preserve trailheads.(Photo: Patrick Breen, Patrick Breen/The Republic)

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City considered installing parking meters at Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak and Pima Canyon

Phoenix hikers won't have to worry about feeding the meter when they scale one of the city's popular mountain peaks.

The Parks and Recreation Department has dropped a proposal to impose parking fees at three popular trailheads, City Manager Ed Zuercher said Friday afternoon. Phoenix had considered using meters to help control traffic and raise money for trail upgrades.

Public outcry over the notion of parking meters at city trailheads was palpable. Nearly 1,000 residents contacted city leaders or attended a public hearing to protest the fees.

"The real message is I think we listened," Parks Director James Burke said. "We have a lot of other issues we need to deal with. We'd rather get on to those."

The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board had been looking at installing parking meters at three trailheads areas — Echo Canyon on Camelback Mountain, Pima Canyon in South Mountain Park, and the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail at that Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area.

Some board members and city officials had said the city needs parking fees to help ease congestion and raise money to maintain and upgrade the popular trailheads, which are decades old and suffering from issues with erosion and inadequate amenities.

A contingent of City Council members — led by Councilman Sal DiCiccio, whose district includes Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak — pushed for a council vote to block the proposal.

"The public saw right through this," DiCiccio said, accusing the city of trying to balance its budget on the backs of trail users. "We've won one battle here, but we've got many more to fight."

Mayor Greg Stanton also voiced support for the decision, saying Phoenix mountain preserves should "be enjoyed by all " — echoing concerns that parking meters would deter low-income residents from using the trails.

The parks board will continue to work with a consultant on ideas to alleviate traffic at preserves, Burke said. They also will study funding options for trail upgrades and maintenance.

Anna Trumble, who lives across the street from the Echo Canyon trail, was elated by the decision. She said parking meters would have encouraged hikers to park in her neighborhood.

We don't have to leave the city limits for some of the best urban hiking spots in the country. Check out the most popular hiking areas in Phoenix, according to the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department.

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4925 E. McDonald Drive

Echo Canyon Summit Trail

Hiking the entire trail to the top of Camelback Mountain is a greater climb than ascending all 103 floors of the Empire State Building, one sign warns. Officials are hard-pressed to explain why Echo Canyon's 1,264-foot climb is so popular. "It's amazing for conditioning," said David Metzler, 44, a city park ranger on his day off. "Per square foot, this is one of the hardest hikes in town."

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2701 E. Squaw Peak Drive

Piestewa Peak Summit Trail

At 2,608 feet, is the second-highest point in the Phoenix Mountains. The rocky, cactus- dotted peak in the heart of the city is named in honor of Army Spc. Lori Ann Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat in the U.S. military, in 2003 in Iraq. A circumference trail is manageable for less fit hikers, and the summit trail is perfect for weekend warriors, gaining a tough 1,190 feet in 1.2 miles.

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End of Cholla Lane, off Invergordon Street (64th Street)

Cholla Trailhead

The hike is about 3 miles roundtrip and gains about 1,200 feet in elevation. Things get steep and intense closer to the top, so inexperienced hikers will want to take it slowly.

The Republic

9904 S. 48th St.

Pima Canyon

The most popular entry point for the National Trail at South Mountain is Pima Canyon in Ahwatukee Foothills. It begins as an old dirt road that gets a lot of use as a bike trail and jogging path. Once you get past that, it becomes a trail that snakes up and across the mountain for a ridgeline hike with spectacular views.

10600 N. Seventh St.

North Mountain National Trail

Head for North Mountain Park and the paved North Mountain National Trail. Think of it as nature's stair climber. Those in reasonable shape can do it in less than an hour. The hardiest exercisers run up the path and back - twice.